Trump pauses new Russia sanctions as diesel deal draws criticism

President Donald Trump paused a sweeping new sanctions package against Russia on Friday, two days before it was due to take effect, saying the move “is in the national interests of the United States.” The decision follows his announcement of a deal to bring Russian diesel onto the global market as fuel prices rise.

Trump signed the legislation last month after it passed Congress with bipartisan support. Named for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., it was designed to restrict revenue that supports Russia’s war against Ukraine. According to The Guardian, the measure targets Russian officials, banks and a fleet of tankers used to move Russian energy.

The law also gives Trump authority to impose tariffs on goods from major buyers of Russian oil and gas, including China and India. The Guardian reported that it directs him to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the top five importers, with an exception for countries that buy less than 15% of Russia’s natural gas exports and have taken significant steps to reduce those imports.

The legislation required the administration to provide Congress with an unclassified explanation before waiving the new sanctions. Trump said in his executive order that the White House had sent that report to Capitol Hill.

The pause comes a week after Trump announced an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to release Russian diesel onto the global market. Trump said Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 metric tons, followed by another 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons “immediately thereafter,” according to The Guardian. He said another 3 million tons would follow “within a short period of time.” The Guardian reported that Trump said the United States had agreed to purchase the diesel to help bring down global energy prices.

Diesel prices have risen almost 70% since the war in Iran began in February, according to NBC News. The sanctions pause also comes less than three weeks before the midterm elections, with the cost of living a major issue for voters.

The diesel agreement has drawn objections from lawmakers in both parties. A dozen senators, including six Republicans, urged Trump in a Tuesday letter to rescind the deal and use the sanctions authority Congress had approved, The Guardian reported. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told NBC News he believes “there’s a legitimate case for saying the president’s not following the law.”

“We were very clear that Russia is the aggressor,” Tillis said. “Russia is the one who can end this war by backing out of territory that they occupied.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that the diesel deal would mean cash “will start flowing back into Russia,” according to The Guardian.

The legislation has become a campaign issue for Sen. Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham’s sister, who co-sponsored it and is seeking a full term in his South Carolina seat. A Trump ally, she has not criticized his diesel deal or the sanctions pause, NBC News reported. In a debate this week, she said she was “so proud” to help pass the measure but that its use was Trump’s decision: “It gives the president tools that he can use, if he so chooses, to end the war through economic sanctions.”